After Hurricane Wilma struck Ft. Lauderdale in 2005, the entire county went offline. No power, no computer. No computer, no Internet. You couldn’t buy gas because the electric pumps were out. You could only buy what groceries were still on the shelf if you had cash. Credit and debit cards were rendered useless.Things always go wrong at the worst possible time.
At the worst possible moment, hackers struck my PayPal account, overdrew my connected bank account and credit card, and left me penniless when I was most vulnerable.
As more and more crooks and cons become Internet savvy, identity theft is now the fastest growing crime in the U.S.
A good way to protect your family, your possessions and your self against identity theft, is to get and stay organized. You need to be able to understand identity theft, how you can work towards the goal or protection plus plan to continue broadening your knowledge in this area as technology and crime grow together, hand in hand. So here are some helpful tips on how to get organized.
Basic Organizing for Your Family, Possessions, Self
Financial identity theft can be very serious. It is also becoming more and more prevalent these days. In this article, we will discuss how financial identity theft occurs and what you can do to protect yourself.
In many cases, financial identity theft begins with the theft of one’s social security number. With your social security number and a few other pieces of information about you, the thief can set up an entire second credit line. They can apply for credit cards and even get a mortgage. It is so important that you keep this information private. Do not give your social security number out over the phone. Only provide it to entities that truly have a right and a legitimate reason to know, such as your tax professional or your bank.
Many people do not realize that there are different types of identity theft. There are indeed several ways in which the identity thief can take advantage of your personal information, while leaving you to deal with the repercussions. Here’s what you need to know about the 5 types of identity theft.
The type of identity theft you are probably most familiar with is Financial Identity Theft. It is when the thief uses your information to set up financial accounts in your name without your permission or knowledge. The thief may obtain credit cards, loans, merchandise, homes, vehicles, vacations and more, all in your name. Financial identity theft can definitely cost you thousands of dollars in debt, not to mention the painstaking process of clearing your name and credit.
Your luck doesn’t have to be so bad as the California man, who, in a series of unrelated events, was hit by a car on Sunday, mugged on Monday, and shot on Tuesday. But, if you lose your identity to a con man, your foul luck level could be close.
With a con man-launched barrage, stolen identities are rising at a rate of up to 10,000,000 per year, creating a problem that is now approaching crisis proportions.
If we were a fire-eating, Bible-thumping preacher, we would deliver our sermon something like quoting from a legal thriller, something like this:
Many people do not realize that there are different types of identity theft. There are indeed several ways in which the identity thief can take advantage of your personal information, while leaving you to deal with the repercussions. Here’s what you need to know about the 5 types of identity theft.
The type of identity theft you are probably most familiar with is Financial Identity Theft. It is when the thief uses your information to set up financial accounts in your name without your permission or knowledge. The thief may obtain credit cards, loans, merchandise, homes, vehicles, vacations and more, all in your name. Financial identity theft can definitely cost you thousands of dollars in debt, not to mention the painstaking process of clearing your name and credit.
Identity theft is no fun. Sometimes a few simple action steps can go a long ways towards successfully helping you avoid making errors or slip ups that could result in identity theft. Start by making positive adjustments in your life and place of business so that you can avoid identity theft in your life…
Identity theft is no fun. Sometimes a few simple action steps can go a long ways towards successfully helping you avoid making errors or slip ups that could result in identity theft. Start by making positive adjustments in your life and place of business so that you can avoid identity theft in your life…
You’ve heard about the vicious crime that is identity theft. And, you’ve wondered if it’ll ever happen to you.
Then suddenly, your bank balance is disappearing faster than you’ve been spending it. You’ve also got a mortgage and a new car, and you can’t even fathom how you’ve got all of these. You credit card has also been billed for merchandise you didn’t purchase.
You start to wonder…..
Yes, if you’re experiencing any of the above-mentioned incidents, you’ve probably fallen victim to an identity theft attack.
The million-dollar question though is ‘What can I do to get back my identity?’
While no doubt you have heard of different types of identity theft, you may not have heard a great deal about social security number theft. Most of the time when you think of identity theft you think of someone stealing your credit card number or other financial information. Although this can be dangerous and cause a myriad of problems, social security number theft is even worse.
What is Social Security Number Theft?
